Tie her up
"Don't you think it's strange?" Zuo Xiao frowned. "We've only been together for a little over a month, why do you have to be with me? And talking about marriage now? Isn't that too impulsive? You're like the one in the TV show who's been cursed..."
Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a moment and said, "Perhaps love cannot be explained by logic. Logic can't explain why I fell in love with you at first sight, why I shamelessly coveted you even though I knew you were someone else's girlfriend, why there is no room in my heart for any other woman except you...Logic can't explain it either. Obviously, a marriage certificate is just a piece of paper, but I want it like crazy..."
His face flushed red with emotion, and even his voice trembled. He was obviously aware that his behavior was a little out of control, so he closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing rhythm.
"I want to know, what is it about me that you like?"
Zuo Xiao was genuinely confused. She felt she had a good appearance, some talent, and of course, some charisma... Yes, she was indeed excellent, but it didn't seem so excellent that a tall, handsome, gentle, considerate, and successful young man would be so obsessed with her. It seemed difficult to explain it scientifically.
Her question caused the pair of dark eyes in front of him to suddenly mist over, becoming moist and hazy, and his face, which had finally returned to normal, flushed red again. The next second, Zhuang Yu'an couldn't help but pull her into his arms, kissing her hair and inhaling her scent. It was truly as if he had been cast under a spell.
"I like everything about you..." He murmured, "I like everything about you. Even when you get angry at me or turn your face away, I like it so much... I like it so much that I can't even understand myself..."
Zuo Xiao got goosebumps all over his body, and at the same time he realized that this man was in a state of ecstasy.
Then she realized that being loved so unconditionally and shamelessly by someone actually gave her a sense of satisfaction... She had completely conquered him, dominated him, made him a slave to her love, her slave...
She was ashamed of her base tastes, a slight but real shame.
She pushed him away and said seriously, "Stop sending messages on QQ. We haven't finished talking about business yet."
The other person's eyes refocused and he said shamefacedly, "I'm sorry."
Zuo Xiao raised his eyebrows and began to sell unverified knowledge about sex.
"In your case, it's probably a physiological liking," she said confidently. "It's the pheromones I secrete—certain chemicals that naturally have a fatal attraction to you, altering your hormone levels and arousing your sexual excitement. In other words, your liking for me is a physiological instinct. Even if I were completely worthless, you would still like me."
Zhuang Yu'an looked confused, as if he understood something but not quite. "Pheromones? I haven't heard of them, but I'll research them."
"That's all for this question. Next question..." Zuo Xiao asked, "Didn't you promise me just before the New Year that you'd stop talking about marriage and lifelong relationships? You also promised that from now on you'd relax, focus on the present, and talk less about the future. You said that yourself, right?"
Zhuang Yu'an nodded solemnly: "Yes, I did say that."
"How dare you contradict yourself so quickly?" Zuo Xiao scoffed. "As expected, your promises are simply unreliable."
Zhuang Yu'an's expression changed instantly, and he hurriedly explained: "I suddenly mentioned the idea of getting married for a reason!"
"What's the reason?"
Zhuang Yuan paused and said, "The first reason is that our marriage will help ease your father-daughter relationship."
Zuo Xiao was taken aback, not understanding his logic. She shook her head and said, "You're wrong. Old Zuo is prejudiced against rich people, and he can't accept flash marriages. If we get married, our father-daughter relationship will only get worse."
Zhuang Yu'an was stunned for a moment, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes, but he still managed to speak: "But there is another perspective. The reason your father opposed you making music is because he was worried that you wouldn't make money and would have a hard time. In addition, he was also worried that you would lose yourself in the midst of sensual pleasures. But if we get married, the problems he's worried about won't happen."
Zuo Xiao thought for a moment and squinted his eyes, "You won't let me lack money, and you will keep an eye on me and not give me the chance to flirt with other women, right?"
Zhuang Yu'an's expression froze, and he argued cunningly, "It's not that I'm keeping an eye on you, it's mainly to reassure him... After all, being married can eliminate some harassment, and my family will feel more at ease."
"Tsk!" Zuo Xiao didn't believe him and scoffed, "You're just saying it's nice, but isn't it just saying you're married and don't dare mess around?"
Zhuang Yu'an didn't dare to argue anymore and chose to change the subject: "I think the two points I just mentioned make sense in front of Lao Zuo. What do you think?"
"No." Zuo Xiao was unequivocal. "Just to satisfy his unfounded anxiety and desire for control, I'm going to sacrifice my freedom in marriage? Forget it!"
Zhuang Yu'an's eyelashes fluttered, and he looked heartbroken: "Do you think marrying me... is a sacrifice?"
"I didn't say that. Please don't change the subject..." Zuo Xiao curled his lips and explained, "What I meant is that marriage should be a result of both parties having fully adjusted to each other, building sufficient understanding and trust, and forming a community under completely independent and thoughtful consideration. It shouldn't be done to meet other people's expectations, or to use marriage as a means to solve some problem. I would never marry for someone else."
"Then there's no need to tell me my second reason." Zhuang Yu'an lowered his eyes and said dejectedly.
Zuo Xiao thought he was playing a trick, but his performance was so realistic that she couldn't bear to sit idly by and said, "Go ahead."
Zhuang Yu'an hesitated for a long time before speaking: "The second reason is that I am very anxious. I feel that I may not be able to bear the state of being separated from you for most of the next year or so... I asked a psychologist, and she said that this situation may be separation anxiety. So-"
"Stop!" Zuo Xiao interrupted him, frowning. "Have you ever considered that even if we get married, it won't change the fact that we'll be living apart for most of the time. So what's the real point of this marriage certificate? Is it to give me married status and bind me to remain faithful to you?"
She stared at him with burning eyes: "You don't trust me?"
Zhuang Yu'an was stunned for a moment and defended himself, "It's not that I don't trust you, but I can't bear the risk of losing you. Beijing to Vancouver is over 8,000 kilometers away, with a twelve-hour time difference. There are too many uncontrollable factors..."
"You just don't trust me." Zuo Xiao exposed him mercilessly. "What separation anxiety, what uncontrollable factors? Ultimately, you're just paranoid, afraid that I'll fall in love with someone else when you're not around. In your mind, I'm simply someone who falls in love with every woman I meet. I'm not trustworthy!"
Zhuang Yu'an was deeply upset and apologized profusely, admitting his narrow-mindedness and promising to deal with his emotions and not to ask for marriage as a way to alleviate his anxiety.
Zuo Xiao wasn't really angry with him. After all, it was human nature. She'd been with Zhou Zhihui for over three years, and he was still suspicious, watching her closely. Although she'd become more open-minded, she couldn't help but question him when he went out to a party and didn't answer her call. No matter how close two hearts are, there will always be gaps. Absolute trust between lovers is simply unrealistic. Sometimes, a certain amount of suspicion is not only normal, but also the spice of love. Caring for each other leads to anxiety and fear of loss. In her novels, the leading male and the second male lead who deeply love the heroine are all like this.
"Okay, okay, I'm not angry with you anymore." She leaned over and hugged him, burying her face in his thick chest, and said with a smile, "Tonight is short, why don't you do what you need to do?"
The twenty-year-old wooden bed creaked once more. Suddenly, Zuo Xiao remembered that Wang Xuemei lived upstairs, and she bit her lip. However, her limited self-control didn't last long before it was shattered, and a discordant murmur escaped her lips. She pressed the back of her hand to her lips, but he grabbed her wrist from behind and pulled her away.
"Baby, you have a beautiful voice, don't hide it..." His hot breath hit the back of her neck, and he suddenly exerted force, throwing her high up and then dropping her heavily. She closed her lips after a short scream, and her eyes were wet with unbearable tears.
When Zuo Xiao woke up, he found Zhuang Yu'an still with his eyes closed, breathing evenly. He smiled at the thought of this man working harder than an old ox.
Sunlight filtered through the floral curtains, illuminating the room and allowing her to see the details of his face. He had prominent brows and a high nose bridge, and his eye sockets were deep, forming a distinct groove between the inner corners of his eyes and the bridge of his nose. She gently poked it with her index finger, trying to gauge how many drops of water it could hold.
At this moment, the person under my eyelids fluttered his eyelashes, and then slowly opened his eyes.
"Good morning." He looked at her lovingly, with a natural smile on his lips. She smiled and kissed the corner of his eye: "Good morning."
He turned to the left and prepared to hug her, but suddenly his expression froze as he realized his right hand was paralyzed. He turned back in frustration, his left arm around the back of her neck, and held her in his arms.
The cell phone vibrated at this moment.
Zhuang Yu'an answered the phone, his eyes suddenly glaring. Then, he sat up, his brow furrowing ever tighter.
"Send me the address of the hospital and continue to monitor public opinion." He said and hung up the phone.
Zuo Xiao stood up and asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"
Zhuang Yu'an looked at her silently, his black eyes like two deep pools.
After a long moment, he said, "Luffy was in a car accident last night and is in the ICU."
In the morning, the two arrived at the airport departure hall.
Zhuang Yu'an put down his suitcase and turned around to say, "The company is currently trying to find out the cause of the incident from the police. We've also contacted someone at the hospital. I'll be the first to know if there's any progress and will update you."
Zuo Xiao nodded, her face pale and worried. Zhuang Yu'an frowned and pulled her into his arms.
"No matter what happens, we have to face it together. Including all the emotions, we have to process them together." He said in a deep voice, "Promise me that no matter what thoughts or emotions you have in your heart, don't hide them. Tell me, and we will face and deal with them together, okay?"
At five o'clock in the afternoon, he called and said that the person was already in a Grade A hospital in Taiyuan.
"Luffy was diagnosed with hemorrhagic shock, intracranial hemorrhage, multiple fractures throughout the body, lung contusion, and spleen rupture. The hospital urgently performed multiple damage control surgeries and subsequently transferred him to the ICU. A second surgery will be performed once his condition stabilizes. The doctor said that the bleeding is now basically under control and various indicators are improving, but lung oxygenation is still low and he needs to continue ventilator support."
There was a calming power in Zhuang Yu'an's voice, and his clarity and specificity reassured her more than vagueness. Zuo Xiao paused and said, "I see. So, has the cause of the accident been determined?"
Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a moment, then said, "The road surveillance video provided by the police shows that Luffy was driving alone on a winding mountain road last night and crashed into the mountain wall at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. Considering his blood alcohol content, he was driving under the influence."
Zuo Xiao took a deep breath, and a terrible guess quickly took shape in his mind.
Zhuang Yu'an seemed to guess what she was thinking and said, "He's drunk and unconscious. When he wakes up, we can ask him in person, okay?"
Zhuang Yu'an stayed in Taiyuan for two days. On the morning of the ninth day of the first lunar month, he took the high-speed rail back to Beijing and went straight to the company.
Upon arrival at the company, a special meeting was held, with all the heads of marketing, public relations, investor relations, legal affairs, and human resources present.
Ge Xin reports: In recent days, online reports and discussions regarding the suspected drunk driving injury of Pet Planet co-founder Lu Fei have intensified. Some self-media outlets have even dug up his family background, highlighting family feuds and internal team strife, and even speculating that the accident was a suspected suicide. This incident has also caused significant repercussions in the capital market. In just three days since the Hong Kong stock market opened on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the company's share price has plummeted by 15%. Following yesterday's announcement by the listed company and the official statement from the brand, negative online public opinion remains rampant. The Public Relations Department is working with the Legal Department to address the situation. Subsequently, other departments provided updates on the latest developments and follow-up work plans.
Zhuang Yu'an emphasized the need to promptly address false information and effectively guide public opinion, with daily special reports being submitted to him. At the same time, internal efforts must be made to maintain morale, reassure employees, and maintain a unified tone in external communications.
After the meeting, Ge Xin came to his office.
"I want to go see him, can I?" she asked straight to the point.
"As long as it doesn't affect your work, you can decide for yourself," Zhuang Yu'an said. "I'll send you the address. But it's best to wait until he's out of the ICU, otherwise you won't be able to see him."
Not long after Ge Xin left, Zhuang Jinghao walked in.
The brother and sister hadn't seen each other for only four or five days, but such a big thing happened. Zhuang Jinghao sat opposite, frowning: "Brother, will Brother Luffy be okay..."
"Don't worry." Zhuang Yu'an said gently, "He hasn't woken up yet, but his condition is stable and he's ready for a second surgery. The first round of surgery will begin this afternoon. If you're really worried, why not find some time to go to the temple and pray for his safety?"
"Hmm." Zhuang Jinghao's expression didn't improve, and he continued, "Do you think Zuo Xiao might be having wild thoughts? I saw some people online saying that Luffy committed suicide. Will she think it has anything to do with her..."
"Maybe." Zhuang Yu'an said solemnly, "When you have time, spend more time chatting with her."
After a brief respite, Zhuang Yu'an was plunged into seemingly endless official duties. Besides the endless meetings, he also had to field calls from major shareholders and important partners. By the time he finished work and returned home, it was already midnight.
He sent Zuo Xiao several WeChat messages during the day, but she either said she was in the hospital or had gone to bed. His heart ached when he thought about how horrible she must have been these past few days. There was no better solution, so he had to ask his subordinates stationed at the hospital to increase their reporting frequency and keep her updated on any new developments.
Furthermore, he worried she wouldn't eat well, so on the day he left, he'd booked a nearby restaurant and had them deliver three meals a day to her home on schedule, choosing the dishes himself. Perhaps to prevent him from worrying, she took photos of every meal and sent them back to him, which comforted him considerably.
Two more days passed like this.
That afternoon, Zhuang Yu'an was preparing for a meeting when Zuo Xiao sent a message: "I'm in Taiyuan."
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